Patterns and Fabrics, as cut out. An "in process" document


Updated Sunday, 27 August, 2006

This document shows how the cutting and translating pattern concepts into clothing worked.

Duncan's Outfit:

We used a new XL-tall dress shirt as the template for Duncan's gamurra and undercotte. This gave me a good measurement for his shoulders and the length of his sleeves, as well as the armscye. (I am crummy at deriving armscye's from measurements.)
First I cut a pattern for the gamurra, or overcotte, from the dress shirt. Working from the period pictures that we found, we had decided to use a boat neck line for both the gamurra and the undercotte. This second picture, of San Crescenzio in 1406, shows that the boat neck line was still in use for youths at about the time we are working toward. This bust shows an elegant trim/working about the neckline; I intend to put a black and gold trim on both the neckline and hem of the black undercotte.

These pics are the basic cut for the gamurra/overcotte. We will line this one with blue satin. The tabs below the armscye are to put buttons/lacing eyes to hold the outfit closed. (Duncan and I are leaning to buttons and loops so that we can adjust them as he grows) I will put reinforcing in these tabs to stand up to the activities of a 17-year-old.



Top of gamurra
Link to Large Pic		 Full-length of fabric
Link to Large Pic

Duncan measures 48" from the top of the back to the back of the knee; the fabric length is 55" (width of the fabric, luckily!), so that when I fit it to him I can hem it to be precisely to just above the knee.
(Happy news -- this means that the garment took just under 2 yards, meaning that I have 4 yards left to do something else with!)

However, just because the measurements fit the pattern, the garment may not fit the person. Duncan's gamurra/overcotte was about 2.5" too wide in the neckline. I seamed it in the midde before I cut the satin pieces. Here are pictures of the brocade after I seamed it, and the blue after I cut it and seamed the shoulders.
Red fabric cut and Seamed
Link to full-size Pic		 Blue lininge seamed at shoulders
Link to full-sized pic		 Detail of blue with pin markers
Link to full-sized pic		 Link to alternate view of Blue, seamed

Here are the seamed red and the blue as finally cut and sewn at the shoulders. When I cut the blue, I marked both the red and the blue with pins in a pattern: One an X and one at II, so I could tell which shoulder matched which. I've linked the pictures that show the pin designation more clearly. (Why not use tailor's chalk? I couldn't find it in the house, which was the biggest reason, and wasn't sure it would come off the satin easily...)

Glossary:

Armscye
Noun: The curved inset in the body of a garment into which the sleeve cap is sewn.

Tailor's Chalk
Noun: Chalk used by tailors to make temporary marks on cloth. Unlike sidewalk chalk, tailor's chalk is made with colored clays, and it is very hard. It makes a very visible line on the fabric, but brushes off most fabrics easily. Usually it comes in a container with a sharpener on one end and a brush on the other.